(Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
One of the biggest surprises in the first round of the NBA playoffs thus far has been the Los Angeles Lakers coming out on top against the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1 on the road at FedExForum.
Although the Lakers deserved the win after getting two big performances from role players Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, the Grizzlies were shorthanded due to the hand injury that superstar Ja Morant sustained after a scary fall.
The injury immediately resulted in Morant asking to be taken out of the game and checked out in the locker room, which resulted in the face of the franchise sitting out the rest of Game 1 with his injured hand wrapped up and a lot of doubts about whether he’d be able to continue playing in this series.
Ahead of Game 2 in Memphis, a concerning report surfaced about Morant’s status, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski saying there isn’t a lot of optimism about the All-Star guard being able to play on Wednesday night.
.@wojespn has the latest on Ja Morant:
“I do not sense a great deal of optimism around this Grizzlies team that Ja Morant will be ready to play in Game 2.” pic.twitter.com/67KuD35Lix
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 18, 2023
This report isn’t all that surprising considering how much pain Morant was in following the injury he sustained in Game 1 and the fact the injury was on his shooting hand.
Fortunately for Memphis, Morant didn’t suffer any fractures in his right hand, which is great news, but his playing status will be determined by his ability to play through pain.
Without Morant in the fold, the Grizzlies advancing to the second round of the postseason may be a longshot.
There’s no doubt that the Grizzlies are a talented team from top to bottom, but with the way the Lakers are playing, Morant’s injury may be tough to bounce back from.
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